When a Roommate Needs to Go

June 3, 2003

Rob moved out yesterday, back to Columbus, GA, and I now have the apartment to myself. I am languishing in my solitude (whenever someone isn’t dropping bye). The last few days were rough. Rob was determined to soak up as much of San Miguel as he could as his 10 months here came to an end. I kept telling myself, “Only two more days”, “Only one more day.” And finally, “Only a few more hours” because he didn’t sleep the night before he left. The phone rang at 7:30 AM and the words that wafted upstairs to my room were, “Charles is going to kill me.” I didn’t kill him but I did get up to make certain that he was leaving. Had he changed his flight he would have departed from a hotel, not from here. His first words to me were, “I’m in no condition to travel.” “But you are” I said. He’d finished the wine that he bought to replace the wine of mine that he had consumed. But the best part was what he intended to leave behind. A small suitcase, ok. “But Charles, but, but, but . . .” “What is it Rob?” “Hallie is still asleep upstairs.” “Well she won’t be much longer because she is leaving when you do. You are not leaving a freshly porked underage girl in my house after you leave.”

Actually, Hallie is a sweet girl. She is a gringo, 17 years old, with a 6:00 AM curfew lightly imposed by her parents. (What is the world coming to?) Some have commented that she is rapidly becoming the village bicycle.

By 9:00 AM I stuffed them into a taxi and gained my freedom. I don’t think my housekeeper was disappointed to see him go. I heard the words “Rob” and “malo” in the same sentence. “You’ll miss me Charles!” he shouted as he left. “I will Rob. But I won’t miss living with you!”

Emily left the same day; Brian leaves tomorrow, Toby on Thursday. However, new lost souls have entered my life but I’m tired of the role of Dad and am keeping them at arms length least I lose focus on my whole reason for coming here. One is a little more persistent than the others. A young Mexican kid named Alex is determined to teach me Spanish (75 pesos per hour) before he leaves for Toronto for college, in August. I keep making excuses, “After Rob leaves”, “After Toby leaves”, etc. Tomorrow he is dropping bye to set up a schedule. Persistent little twit. I bet he did well in the Mexican version of Jr. Achievers.

The new trundle bed that I’m having made for the guest room is proceeding on schedule. I received a call today saying they wanted to set up a time to deliver on Monday. I’m still baffled by this “On Mexican Time” reputation. So far it has been gringos in Mexico who don’t deliver on schedule. The Mexicans come through every time.

We’ve had some amazing thunderstorms. A real treat for someone from the bay area who rarely experiences these things. One thunderclap brought me right out of my chair last night.